Devdutt Padikkal Opens Up on Batting with Virat Kohli and Bouncing Back from Setbacks

RCB star Padikkal speaks on batting with Virat Kohli, setbacks during stints with RR, LSG

Mumbai, May 22

Paddikal was speaking on JioStar. The left-hander made his debut in the 2020 season, emerging as one of the league's brightest young stars with 473 runs in 15 innings at an average of 31.80, with five half-centuries. After another 411-run stint, which included his maiden IPL ton and a fifty, Padikkal was roped in by the Rajasthan Royals for two seasons and for a season by LSG. After some inconsistent performances with both franchises, RCB once again bet on Padikkal's experience as a local Karnataka boy, getting him for Rs 2 crore ahead of the 2025 season. He played a crucial role in his side's title-winning season last year, which was cut short by an injury, and he has been going stronger than ever in terms of his hitting and scoring rates this season.

Speaking about his IPL debut and batting with Virat, he said that when he made his IPL debut, he felt "ready" after a solid run in domestic cricket, and batting with Virat was a "huge help" to him, as watching him gave him clarity on constructing a knock.

"When I made my IPL debut with RCB in the 2020 season, I felt ready. I had a solid run of scores in domestic cricket behind me. So, I knew that when my chance came, I would be fully switched on and give 100 per cent. And batting with Virat Kohli, one of the greatest in the game, was a huge help. At that age, watching him build an innings gave me so much clarity and understanding of how to construct a knock. That made a big difference in my growth," he said.

But the coming two years with the Royals were not easy as he batted everywhere from opening to number six. Padikkal admitted that moving down the order for RR and LSG was challenging, but it taught him how to play under pressure, read situations and adapt him game accordingly.

"Moving from being a dedicated opener to batting in different positions lower down the order was challenging, especially at a young age. But those experiences with Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants shaped me into the player I am today. Batting at different numbers taught me how to read situations, construct innings under pressure, and adapt my game. I am grateful for that journey and hope to keep learning," he said.

In 28 matches and innings with the Royals, he made 637 runs at an average of 23.59 and a strike rate of 125.89, with three half-centuries. Things got much worse for him during the 2024 stint with LSG, where he scored just 38 runs in seven innings. Padikkal admitted it was not easy to bounce back from that season and there was "a lot going on in his head". Rather than running away from it, he accepted his setbacks and worked on areas he identified where progress could be made.

"The 2024 IPL season was a tough one. Bouncing back from a difficult season is never easy. You must let it settle. During that season, a lot was going on in my head. I made sure I did not ignore it. You must go through the phase, accept it, and figure out how to come out better. Once the season ended, I knew exactly what I had to work on. I started putting in the effort, and soon I could see progress. That is how a cricketer's journey works. You must keep evolving and keep learning. Setbacks will happen. The key is to get back up as quickly as possible and keep moving forward," he said.

Since his return to RCB under head coach Andy Flower and batting coach/mentor Dinesh Karthik, Padikkal admitted that he made "several changes" to his technique under both of them and shifted his red-ball game to a more white-ball oriented style.

"It is not easy because both formats demand different technical approaches. So, I worked on those technical adjustments. Mentally, I had to bring more intent into my game. In earlier seasons, I had a fixed template for starting my innings. I had to break away from that and try a different approach. I needed to go out with the mindset of looking to score off every ball. Once I did that, the results started showing," he said.

Since the past two seasons with RCB, Padikkal has made 659 runs in 22 innings at an average of 32.95 and a strike rate of over 163, with five fifties and a best score of 61. This season, he has made 412 runs in 12 innings at an average of 37.45 and a strike rate of over 173, with three fifties and best score of 61 and has stitched several important partnerships, particularly with Virat.

— ANI